Impression: Part Two (AU Continuation)
Bruce growled under his breath as he ripped another tie off, tossing it over his shoulder before removing another suit. He absentmindedly threw his clothes into the pile that he'd accumulated on his bedroom floor as he walked back over to his closet.
With hands on his hips, his frantic gaze wandered over one expensive suit after another in hopes of finding just the right own. Pulling a dark charcoal grey suit from its hanger, he quickly donned his newest choice in hopes that this was the right one for tonight.
He huffed in frustration as he buttoned up the dress shirt, wondering what had happened to him. He'd never been like this about a date before, never going to all this trouble just to find the right clothes to wear. Of course, he'd never met a woman like Diana Prince before.
She'd intrigued him from the very first moment he saw her, his enchantment with her only expanding from there when he'd talked to her. He was anxious to find out everything about her especially since he'd thought of little else since he'd met her last weekend.
His lips twitched into a frown as he perused his selection of ties, trying to decide which one would best go with his suit. "Alfred!" he yelled, grabbing a couple of ties from the closet before making his way to the full-length mirror. "Alfred! I need help, Alfred!"
Several moments passed before Alfred appeared in the doorway of his bedroom. "Might I inquire as to what all the bellowing is about, Master Bruce?"
"Which tie goes best with this suit?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted as he held first one tie against his shirt and pants before trying the second one.
"Actually, I much prefer this one," Alfred replied, retrieving a tie from the closet.
"Thanks," Bruce grumbled as he snatched it out of the British butler's hands.
Alfred clasped his hands before him, a knowing smile gracing his lips. "May I ask why the panic over a suit?" he asked, glancing at the pile on the floor with an exasperated sigh.
"I have a date tonight," he snapped as if it was painfully obvious.
"I assumed as much, but I have never seen you quite so…shall we say…obsessed about finding the appropriate attire for a date."
Bruce slipped on his suit jacket, adjusting the sleeves and his tie as he took another look in the mirror. "I just want to make a good impression. What's wrong with that?"
"Oh, nothing…nothing at all," he reassured him. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that your date is with Miss Diana Prince, would it?"
"What? No," Bruce insisted with a scowl as he put on his cufflinks. "Like I said I just want to make a good impression."
"I'm sure you shall, Master Bruce," he assured him. "Where are you taking, Miss Prince?"
"Pierre's," he informed him as he ran his fingers through his hair in an effort to tame his ebony locks.
"Good choice," he agreed. "This must be a very important date if you made the reservations yourself instead of having me take care of it."
"It's just a date…nothing more," he tried to tell him as he turned to face his surrogate father. "Don't be getting any ideas in your head. I'm not anywhere near settling down and getting married…and don't even mention children. Not going to happen."
"Why, Master Bruce, I wouldn't dare dream of it," Alfred told him with feigned innocence, but the mischievous twinkle in his eye told him otherwise.
"Right," Bruce muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"Which car are you taking tonight?"
"The Bugatti," he answered him as exited his bedroom. "Don't wait up."
"Behave yourself," Alfred called after him as he knelt down and began picking up the discarded suits.
XXX
Diana appraised her appearance in her mirror, turning from one side to the other and back again. She ran her hands over the deep blue material of her dress, hoping that it looked all right on her. An afternoon of shopping had resulted in three new dresses, all of them taking a turn at being paraded before the mirror in hopes of being the chosen one.
She'd finally settled on the deep blue, single shoulder knee-length dress mostly because she didn't have the time to try the other two dresses on again. The decision had been made for her whether she liked it or not. Grabbing her strappy silver high-heeled sandals, she quickly slipped one on, hopping on one foot to put the other one on as she made her way towards her bathroom.
She finished with the strap of her sandal, spraying her hair one last time. "I'm afraid this is as good as it's going to get, Diana," she murmured to herself, checking to make sure her dress hid the scar below her collarbone. A cold chill trembled through her as a distant memory attempted to invade her mind, but she quickly banished it. She refused to allow it to gain a foothold in her life again.
She didn't know why she felt a flutter of nervousness. It was just a date—nothing more. She'd been warned by just about everyone that Bruce Wayne was a bad bay with a notorious reputation for being a player, but she had seen something different in the man that she had met at the museum gala last weekend.
She didn't know if it was his irresistible charm or her curiosity that had caused her to agree to a date with him. Heaven knew that she hadn't been out on a date in more years than she could begin to count. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in finding someone to build a life with or that she hadn't had more than her fair share of requests. It was just very difficult for her to let someone into her life.
All she knew was that Bruce Wayne had intrigued her when she'd first met him. She found she wanted to get to know him better despite her fears. She'd told herself that there was absolutely nothing wrong with that or with wanting to have a little companionship. She had to admit that she was quite lonely at times especially being in a new city where she knew absolutely no one.
Besides, it couldn't work even if she wanted it to. She couldn't have the love life that others got to experience.
"Don't be so fatalistic, Diana," she chided herself with a frown as she flipped the light switch off on her way out of the bathroom.
There was a knock at her door, one that caused her to momentarily freeze. The pesky flutter invaded her chest all over again, forcing her to draw a deep breath as she headed towards her door. Releasing a slow, calming breath, she opened it to find her new neighbor at her door.
"What's up, gorgeous?"
Diana's lips pursed into a thin line as she tried to keep the smile from fully forming on her face. "Hi, Wally," she greeted him. "What are you up to this evening?"
"Just checking on my beautiful new neighbor," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he leaned a forearm against her doorframe. "Wanna get pizza and watch a movie with me tonight?"
"Thank you, but I can't," she revealed, biting at her bottom lip with what she was about to say next. "I…have a date tonight."
"What?" Wally nearly shrieked. "I've asked you out like a million times since you moved in two weeks ago and you've turned me down every time since. Who is it? Wait…I don't want to know. Let me just die a little inside with some dignity."
"I'm sorry, Wally," she apologized with a chuckle. "It wasn't planned. It just sort of…happened."
"I'm sorry," a deep baritone voice interjected. "Am I interrupting something?"
Wally West turned to fine none other than Bruce Wayne standing next to him with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "Bruce freaking Wayne?" Wally cried. "Di, you're killing me! I can't compete with that."
"Good night, Wally," she politely said, giving him an apologetic smile.
"Have a good time," Wally said as he slunk away, looking over his shoulder to glare at the famous billionaire.
"Good evening, Bruce," Diana greeted him as she stepped aside to allow him entrance into her loft.
"Good evening, Diana. You look absolutely beautiful tonight," he replied as he offered her the bouquet of flowers. "These are for you."
"Thank you…they're lovely," she said, closing her eyes as she inhaled the scents of the various flowers in the bouquet. "Just let me put these in some water and we can leave."
"I hope you like French food," Bruce said, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets as he began to wander around her living room.
It was an impressive loft, expansive and yet cozy…warm and inviting while being tastefully decorated. It seemed to draw him in and wrap him up with a warm feeling, welcoming him in as if he should always be here. It was decorated with antiques that were a nod to her heritage, framed paintings of Greece's picturesque landscape adorning the walls.
"I love French food," she replied. "Unfortunately, with my busy schedule, I don't get to enjoy it very often."
"You can enjoy it to your heart's content tonight," he reassured her.
Diana reentered the living room, her eyes sparkling like the rarest of diamonds as she paused to pick up her silver wrap and purse from the top of an antique bureau. "I'm ready when you are," she said, feeling the nervous flutter evaporate as their eyes met.
Bruce offered her his arm, a warm smile on his handsome face. "My car awaits us, princess."
Diana chuckled softly as they left her loft, her hand settling in the crook of his arm. "Princess?"
"Prince…princess," he pointed out. "It's not that far of a leap. Besides, you're beautiful enough to be a princess."
A soft blush suffused her cheeks as she dipped her head in embarrassment. "Such flattery so soon?" she teased. "Should I be concerned?"
"I take it you've been warned about me by a great many people," he ventured a guess, doing his best to keep his annoyance from reaching his face.
"You could say that," she coyly replied.
"Should I be concerned?"
"No, not unless the rumors are true," she told him with a smirk as he opened her car door for her. "Then, you might have cause for concern."
"From you or your father?"
A dark shadow passed over Diana's face with the mention of her father. She quickly tucked it away but not before being noticed by Bruce. "Only me," she stated in a clipped tone as she got into the car.
Bruce filed that information away for a later conversation as he closed her car door, making his way around to the driver's side. Starting up his Bugatti, he took off through Gotham, intent on making this an evening that she wouldn't soon forget.
With any luck, he would be able to garner a kiss from her tonight as well as a second date.
"I'm so amazed by how beautiful this city is," Diana murmured as she gazed out the window at the bustling experience of Gotham's nightlife.
Bruce hid his surprise with her comment as he turned to gaze at her to find a look of wonderment on her face. "I don't think I've heard Gotham described as beautiful before."
She cast a glance at him, curiosity alight in her eyes. "Really? You don't see it yourself?"
He shrugged a shoulder as he considered her question. "I guess I've never really thought about it," he confessed. "The crime and corruption that has infiltrated the city on a daily basis seems to overshadow it at times."
"Sometimes you have to look beyond the harsh exterior to find the beauty lying beneath…like a diamond in the rough," she thoughtfully replied.
"I guess you're right," he agreed with a contemplative nod. "I've lived here my whole life, so I suppose I've become somewhat cynical about my birthplace. It's easy to get so swept up in daily life and responsibilities that you don't take the time to see what's around you."
A soft smile touched her lips as she laid a hand on his forearm. "Maybe we can help each other then," she suggested. "You can show me your city and I'll show you the beauty in it."
Bruce returned her smile with one of his one, an expression that caused his piercing blue eyes to light up in a way that caused her breath to catch in her throat. "I'd like that," he softly said, feeling as though he'd already been granted a guarantee for a second date.
Now, he couldn't wait for that kiss.
She had left him wanting more of her by the time he'd left the museum gala a week ago, occupying his thoughts ever since then. No other woman had been able to captivate him quite like she had. Seeing her again tonight had only intensified his desire to kiss her.
Pulling up in front of the restaurant, Bruce got out, making his way around to other side of the car and opening Diana's door for her. She took his offered arm, allowing him to lead her into the restaurant as the young man got into his Bugatti to park his car for him.
Diana was stunned as they entered the restaurant to find it completely empty save for the maître-d and an orchestra. "Bruce, what is this?" she asked, confused.
"I rented the whole restaurant for the evening," he sheepishly told her, watching her face for her reaction. He hoped she'd liked the surprise but had to admit he was a little nervous she would be turned off by the notion.
"You went to all that trouble and expense for me?" she softly asked, her eyes drinking in the romantic scene that surrounded her—the single table set for two, the dim lighting and the lit candles.
"It was no trouble…and expense is never an issue, Diana," he reassured her, lowering his arm to take her hand in his.
"Right this way, sir and madame," the maître-d politely requested, leading them to their waiting table.
Bruce pulled Diana's chair out for her, pushing it in as she sat down. The maître-d handed them their menus as Bruce took his seat. "Your waitress will be with you shortly."
"Thank you, Phillip," Bruce said, glancing at Diana who still seemed a bit stunned by the revelation. "I hope you don't mind. As you know, I have quite a reputation…a good portion of it untrue, but not all of it. I didn't want you to be subjugated to all the attention that would've been focused on you in a crowded restaurant. I'm not saying that it still might not happen if the press gets wind of this, but—"
Her hand covering his halted his rambling. "It's very sweet of you, Bruce," she reassured him. "It's just that no one has ever done anything like this for me before. It's just a little overwhelming, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
He seemed to visibly relax as he smiled at her, relieved that she wasn't upset with him. "I like you, Diana," he confessed. "I want to get to know you, but if you are afraid of being associated with me, I'll understand. I just wanted at least one evening alone with you."
"I'm not worried about your reputation or mine for that matter," she replied. "I prefer to find out the truth of a person for myself, not in a tabloid or rumors."
Bruce released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he glanced down at his menu. "I'm glad to hear that."
"And for the record, I like you too," she confessed, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear, her focus on her menu.
The waitress appeared to take their orders before Bruce could respond, bringing the bottle of wine that he had ordered when he'd made the reservation. "How did you know I liked this wine?" Diana asked, taking a drink.
"I did my homework," he told her.
"Really?"
"Well, I noticed you tended to request it over champagne at the museum gala last week," he revealed. "I tend to be a very observant person."
"I'll have to remember that," she said. "So, what else have you observed about me so far?"
Bruce leaned towards her, more than happy that the maître-d had remembered to place their chairs close together as he'd requested. "You're beautiful…confident with an underlying air of timidity that has me curious. You're brilliant at what you do, and you miss your home, so you decorate your loft with reminders of it to make you feel better."
Diana was stunned by his observations of her but couldn't deny that he was right about most of it. She wasn't so certain about the beauty or brilliance, but she was quite pleased that he found her to be beautiful. She leaned towards him as well, cupping her chin as her elbow came to rest on top of the table.
"Anything else I should know about?" she softly inquired.
"There is far more to you than meets the eye…and I'm anxious to find out what it is," he informed her.
She fought back the sense of trepidation that swirled like a cyclone in her stomach, doing her best to keep her expression open as she felt the walls around her heart begin to turn to steel. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see if you can find out," she flirted.
"I can't wait," he murmured, his gaze falling to her lips.
The waitress appeared at that moment with their dinners, interrupting the romantic moment. They quickly settled back into their seats and into their meals. Conversation was light, revolving mostly around Wayne Enterprises and the various ventures they were involved in. It eventually turned to Diana's job at the museum and the countless artifacts that had recently been uncovered in Greece and procured by the Gotham Museum.
Bruce reached for the second bottle of wine that was half full, but Diana held up her hand. "No more for me tonight," she told him.
"Can't hold your liquor, princess?" he teased her.
"Let's just say I know my limits."
He pushed his seat back, standing to his feet and offering her his hand. "Would you care to dance, Miss Prince?"
She took his hand with a smile, setting aside her cloth napkin as she stood to her feet. "I'd love to."
He led her to the dance floor as the orchestra played, taking her into his arms. Her hand rested on his shoulder as he held her other hand in his, holding her at a respectable distance. Gazing into her eyes, he found himself being plunged far beneath the deep ocean blueness he found there, so much guarded emotion and maybe a hint of apprehension.
It pricked his curiosity, hoping against hope she meant what she had said about wanting to get to know the real him. He didn't want her to feel trepidation or unease around him, worrying about being taken advantage of or having to be on guard with him.
She was already special to him in a way that took him by surprise. He wasn't that man that the tabloids reported about, the brute who conquered women left and right just to put another notch on his bedpost. While he'd been with his fair share of women, he wasn't the cad that the press had made him out to be.
He was no longer the partier or the playboy, putting that aspect of his life behind him a couple of years ago. While he still enjoyed the occasional party, he was trying hard to create a legacy that his parents would be proud of, living the kind of life that they would approve of.
Diana took him by surprise as she drew closer to him, her hand shifting from his shoulder to the back of his neck as her cheek came to rest against his. He leaned into her as well, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her in his arms and anxiously anticipating the next time that he could do it again.
They ended up dancing for almost two hours, holding each other close as they just moved to the orchestral music. Diana attempted to stifle a yawn as she pulled back, Bruce gazing into her eyes once more. "I think I better get you back home before you fall asleep on me," he lightly teased her.
"I'm sorry," she apologized as she ducked her head, a pink blush spreading across her cheeks. "It's been a wonderful evening, Bruce. I can't thank you enough."
"Promise me I can take you out again," he told her.
"We'll see," she replied with an impish grin as he walked her back to the table to retrieve her silver wrap and her purse.
"We'll see?" he said with a chuckle as he took her hand in his. "I thought we already established that I would show you Gotham and you'd point out the beauty of it to me."
"That's what a friend would do," she clarified as they walked outside, the valet driver pulling up in his car.
He tipped the driver before opening Diana's car door for her, his mind spinning with what she'd just said. Did she only consider him a friend with no possibility of something more? It couldn't be. They'd just had the most amazing date that he'd ever been on in his life. Didn't she feel the intense spark between them too?
"A friend?" he asked as he drove off, glancing at her in disbelief to find her trying not to laugh. "I'd like to think I could be more than just a friend, princess."
"Well, just have to see," she told him. "It's too early to tell yet."
"Too early to tell?" he questioned her. "I rented a whole restaurant and an orchestra for you."
"And it was wonderful," she insisted. "I loved every minute of it."
"And I'm still only friend material," he muttered, astonished as he stared at the road ahead of him. This woman never ceased to amaze him. She kept him guessing and completely off balance. It wasn't something that he was used to when it came to the women that he'd dated in the past.
"Time will tell, Bruce," she teased him. "You know these things can't be rushed."
"You don't believe in love at first sight or the notion of soulmates?"
"No, not particularly," she revealed. "There can be an instantaneous connection or spark, but not real love at first sight. That's just wishful dreaming made for fairy tales."
"Wow…I can't say I saw that coming," he admitted, trying to process it all.
Diana's lilting laughter filled the car like a melodious song as they drove back to her apartment building. "Not so observant?" she asked.
"I guess I sort of took you for a hopeless romantic," he admitted.
"Is it because I'm Greek and you've heard all of those mythological stories of gods and goddesses being in love?" she questioned him.
"It must be," he said with a frown.
"It's okay, Bruce," she reassured him. "There's nothing wrong if you believe in it. It's just not something that I feel is possible."
Pulling up in front of her apartment, Bruce turned his car off before getting out. Walking around to the other side, he opened her car door for her, trying to figure out his next move. He was just hoping for that kiss that he'd been aching for all evening long.
They walked up the steps to the front of her apartment building, stopping before the door. She pulled out her key, turning to face him. "Thank you, Bruce," she said with a warm smile that seemed to light up the night brighter than the stars above. "I had a wonderful evening with you."
Bruce's eyes fell to her lips again as he began to lean in only to be stopped short by her forefinger coming to rest against his mouth. He immediately jerked back in surprise. "Sorry, that's for the second date," she informed him.
"Then, when can I take you out again?" he asked her, clearly disappointed.
"Call me and you'll find out," she flirted as she inserted her key and opened the door.
"You're an intriguing woman, Diana," he said with a low growl of frustration in his throat.
Diana chuckled softly as she leaned in and kissed him chastely on the cheek, gently patting his chest. "Good evening, Mister Wayne," she bid him goodnight.
Bruce turned and walked down the steps, pausing when he reached his car. He turned around to find her still standing in the open doorway watching him, a playful smile on her face. "I can already tell that you're going to be the death of me, Miss Diana Prince."
"No, I'm just going to make you work for you what you want," she replied.
He shook his head in absolute amazement, laughter spilling from his lips. "And you think you know what I want?"
"Call me for a second date and we'll see."
"I am going to get my kiss, Miss Prince," he warned her.
"We'll see," she said as she turned and entered her building.
Bruce let out a low whistle, knowing that he'd more than met his match in this formidable woman. She was keeping him on his toes and leaving him wanting so much more of her. He just hoped he could wait until their second date. The week between the gala and their date tonight had been torture.
Diana watched from the window as he got into his car and took off, her lips curling into a grin. She hummed softly to herself as she walked up the stairs to her loft apartment, the magical evening replaying all over again in her mind. It had been absolutely perfect in every way.
"Diana! You're finally back!" Wally greeted her from the doorway of his apartment next to hers. "How was it? Did he try anything? Do I need to hit him for you? I'll defend your honor for you."
"Good night, Wally," Diana merely told him with a grin as she unlocked her door and entered her apartment.
Her cell phone began ringing as she took her heels off. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she found it was Bruce calling her. "Bruce? Is everything all right?"
"I'm calling to ask you out for a second date," Bruce formally requested, "and of course my kiss."
A/N: I have posted a poll on my profile on this website that will decide the future of my family series. PLEASE VOTE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! :)